In addition to the budget, the Roane County Commission will also be voting on a resolution allocating $137,850 to nonprofits for the 2013-14 fiscal year.
“It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the whole budget,” Commissioner Bobby Collier said. “It’s something we’ve been doing for years.”

Sharon Lee still has vivid memories of coming to Roane County to try a case as a young lawyer many years ago.
“Polk Cooley was on the other side,” she recalled. “Anybody want to guess how that case turned out for me?
“He beat me like a drum.”

Despite her loss to Rockwood’s legendary attorney, things still worked out well for Lee.
The Madisonville native was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2008, and she remains a justice on the state’s high court today.

Harriman attorney Donice Butler said she’s ready to defend herself against the allegations that she wronged clients.
That chance could come this month.
“I’ve never been afraid of facing my accusers,” she said.
The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, which oversees the conduct of attorneys, filed a petition for discipline against Butler in May 2012 after some of her former clients accused her of wrongdoing.

State-mandated improvements at Rockwood Water, Sewer and Natural Gas utility’s wastewater plant are moving forward.
The project, which includes the addition of oxidation ditches and other measures, has been pushed back numerous time. The last delay involved unexpectedly high bids.
Utility manager Kim Ramsey said she expects a notice to proceed from the state on July 15. Work may begin that day, she added.

Nonprofit organizers looking for funding help can now start their search at Harriman city hall.
The city isn’t writing checks, but the building is home to computers where people can, for free, search the Foundation Directory Online, an online funding research tool created by the Foundation Center.

Advocates of a Boys and Girls Club in Roane County are still passionate about their cause.
They hope to see the beginnings of a club soon, too.
“Our goal is to have a club in either Rockwood Middle School or Harriman Middle School by the middle of December,” said Sarah Stevenson, board development chair of the Roane County Boys and Girls Club. “It is a goal. We don’t have any money yet. We are going to have a founder’s campaign.”

The Whitestone Country Inn of Kingston has been named a charter member of the Southern Living Hotel Collection.

The collection is a small, curated group of independent four- and five-star level hotels, resorts and inns that span 18 Southern states and offer the best in authentic Southern hospitality.

“The 15 charter members of the Southern Living Hotel Collection are made up of iconic Southern resorts, historic Southern hotels and newly discovered Southern inns,” said Southern Living Publisher Greg Schumann.